Wiping cloth

ABSTRACT

Preparing a cloth of synthetic material for wiping, by washing the material in small quantities of a solution of hot filtered water and detergent at about 175*for about ten minutes, which solution comprises water filtered to about 5 micron filter to remove lint and to which is added about 3 ounces of detergent for about each 50 pounds of cloth to be washed; then rinsing the cloth in two rinses in water and thereafter in two hot water rinses to remove the detergent and unwanted lint; then rinsing the cloth in a cold water rinse and then in an antistatic solution for about 5 minutes, which antistatic solution comprises about 50% of water and 50% antistatic solution; and then rinsing the cloth in a cold water rinse, extracting the water from the cloth and placing the cloth in a plastic container.

[451 Sept. 2, 1975 WIPING CLOTH George Zeidell, San Diego, Calif.

[73] Assignee: International Clean Products, Inc., San Diego, Calif.

22 Filed: July 2, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 375,837

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 177,503,Sept. 2, 1971,

[75] Inventor:

abandoned.

[52] US. Cl 53/21 FC; 15/208; 15/209 R; 15/210 R; 8/137 [51] Int. Cl.B44d 1/092; D06m 13/02 [58] Field of Search ,l17/l38.8 B, 138.8 A,

UA, 1l7/138.8 UA, 139.5 A, 139.5 CQ, 138.8 N, 117/66, 47 R; 15/208, 209R, 210R;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,693,427 11/1954 Kingsford117/138.8 N 2,974,432 4/1961 Wamock et al. 1 17/47 A 3,065,110 11/1962Hagge et al. 1l7/l39.5 CQ

3,353,993 1l/1967 Kida et all ll7/l39.5 CQ 3,424,609 1/1969 Carl et all.ll7/l39.5 CQ 3,459,697 8/1969 Goldberg et al. l17/l38.8 N

Primary ExaminerWilliam R. Trenor Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Brown &Martin [5 7] ABSTRACT Preparing a cloth of synthetic: material forwiping, by washing the material in small quantities of a solution of hotfiltered water and detergent at about 175for about ten minutes, whichsolution comprises water filtered to about 5 micron filter to removelint and to which is added about 3 ounces of detergent for about each 50pounds of cloth to be washed; then rinsing the cloth in two rinses inwater and thereafter in two hot water rinses to remove the detergent andunwanted lint; then rinsing the cloth in a cold water rinse and then inan antistatic solution for about 5 minutes, which antistatic solutioncomprises about 50% of water and 50% antistatic solution; and thenrinsing the cloth in a cold water rinse, extracting the water from thecloth and placing the cloth in a plastic container.

1 Claim, N0 Drawings WIPING CLOTH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fieldof the Invention This invention relates to wiping cloths and moreparticularly to a novel and improved wiping cloth and the method ofprocessing the cloth so that it is clean, lint free and virtually freeof contaminations and static electricity and the like.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art There is a relatively large requirementfor rags and other fabrics for wiping and cleaning purposes. Variousindustrial institutions, shops, plants, garages and the like have a needfor such cloths. I-Ieretofore, these wiping cloths have been comprisedof rags which are normally comprised of old clothing and the like, whichare no longer useful for their intended purpose and have been previouslydiscarded. These rags are, in most cases, washed and baled andthereafter resold to the industry for use in wiping and cleaning.

Oftentime the need is for rags and cloths which are lint free and alsofree of any abrasives. In order to obtain a cloth or rag which is lintfree and free of abrasives, it should also be one which will not attractlint and other contaminants and abrasives, it should be one which isfree from any static electricity which will attract these contaminationsinto the rag or cloth.

This need is critical when used for cleaning delicate machinery such ashydraulic equipment on aircraft and the like. Should lint abrasives beintroduced into these hydraulic systems by the contaminations of thewiping rags, the systems become clogged and fails to operate correctly.This failure in hydraulic systems becomes even more critical whenconsidering the systems in aircrafts. Should the hydraulic systems inaircraft fail, the results are critical and oftentime fatal.

Therefore, a need has arisen for a wiping cloth which meets certainstandards, as to the amount of contaminants contained in a certainsquare footage of the rag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present inventionprovides a wiping cloth comprised of a synthetic material such as Nylon,or the like, which is cut to its desired sizes. The cloths of syntheticmaterial are then washed in a hot water solution containing a detergentmixture. The cloths are washed in small quantities in order to allowwashing action to the highest degree. The temperature may beapproximately 175 in one desired embodiment. The water, before beingplaced into the washing solution, is filtered, for example, in less thanmicron count filter. A washing and rinsing cycle now takes place whichincludes an anti-static liquid formula which eliminates staticelectricity from the cloth. The solution is normally in the describedembodiment 50 percent water and 50 percent anti-static solution. Thisanti-static solution follows the final cold water rinse. Thereafter,another extracting period commences to remove the detergent solution.The rags are then placed in a plastic container and then dried in acleanroom atmosphere.

This provides a cloth which is free of lint and other contaminationsbecause of the fact that the cloth is comprised of a virtually lint freematerial. Thereafter,

the novel washing solution provided, in accordance with this invention,removes any further lint and contaminants from the cloth. Theanti-static solution placed therein, then leaves the cloths in acondition, whereby, they will no longer attract further contaminations.When placed in the plastic bags, the cloths will remain in theiruncontaminated condition until ready for use.

These and other features and advantages will become more apparent tothose skilled in the art, when taken into consideration with thefollowing detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the processing of a cloth forthe purpose of providing a lint free anti-static wiping cloth, it hasbeen found that certain synthetic materials provide very little lint,that is, pieces of broken ends and gatherings of material which breakfree or become disengaged from the material to which it is normallycomprised. Because of the fact that synthetic materials are somewhatlint free, they make a very fine basis for the wiping cloths for use oncritical hydraulic machinery and the like. These too though, have beenfound to contain some lint and attract some contaminations andtherefore, it is desired that these rags or cloths also be processedfurther to obtain a better result in its lint free use.

A cloth has been discovered which nearly meets the criteria of thestandards set down for wiping cloths and this is a nylon materialmanufactured under the tradename of 22N by Monsanto, having theirgeneral office in St. Louis, Missouri. These cloths are to some extentfree from static-electrification. Other types of synthetic materialswhich are virtually lint free may also be used, but it has been foundthat the best results of those tested, is with the 22N anti-static nylonby Monsanto.

It is possible to obtain cloth material from certain types of millingand clothing manufacturing companies in the garment industries, whereby,the mill end cuts are available for sale. These mill end cuts can beobtained and processed in a manner hereinafter to be described. Also, ofcourse, it is possible to directly pur chase the cloth from themanufacturer or obtain them in any other suitable manner. These specialnylon cloths are then cut to the desired sizes and shapes, andthereafter washed in a solution hereinafter to be described.

The washing solution is generally a detergent in hot water at about F.It is found that 3 ounces of detergent for 50 lbs. of cloth is bestsuited. Any suitable detergent can be used. A detergent that can beused, for example, can be the type made by Philadelphia Quartz Companyof California under the tradename of Score. In one embodiment of thisinvention, it has been found that a 10 minute wash period in the abovementioned solution is sufficient with two 5 minutes rinses thereafterand two hot water 2 minute rinses for short extractions. Thereafter, arinse in cold water of 3 minutes and a second rinse in cold water with 2ounces of deluted anti-static solution is added thereto. The anti-staticsolution may be any suitable anti-static solution of which there areseveral, an example of one being Wallerstein AS2O manufactured by adivision of Baxter Labora tory, Staten Island, New York. This solutionof water soluble anti-static agent is deluted in 50 percent water and 50percent anti-solution and is added to the final rinse for minutes.Thereafter, a third cold water 4 minute rinse extracting period isprovided for the cloths. The cloths are then placed into a plasticcontainer and dried in a clean room atmosphere.

It has been found that these special cloths processed in a solution inthe above manner, will provide the ideal lint free anti-contaminatedstatic-free cloths, which meets the criterion now needed in the industryand the governmental institutions in their plants to perform theirwiping and cleaning criterion.

Having thus described one embodiment of this invention, what is claimedis:

1. The process of preparing a cloth of synthetic material for wipingpurposes comprising the steps of,

filtering wash water through a 5 micron filter to remove lint,

adding 3 ounces of detergent to the heated filtered wash water for 50pounds of cloth to be washed in the wash water, washing cloths in smallquantities in a solution of the hot filtered water and detergent atabout degrees for a period of about 10 minutes,

the synthetic material is nylon,

rinsing the cloth in two 5 minute rinses in water and thereafter in twohot water 2 minute rinses to remove the detergent and unwanted lint,

rinsing the cloths in cold water for a 3 minute rinse,

rinsing the cloths in a second rinse in cold anti-static solutioncomprising 50 percent water and 50 percent anti-static solution for 5minutes,

rinsing the cloths in a third cold water 4 minute rinse and extractingthe water from the cloths,

placing the cloths in a plastic container and carrying the cloths to aclean room where the cloths are removed from the plastic container anddryed in a clean room atmosphere,

and then placing the cloths in a plastic container for

1. THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A CLOTH OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL FOR WIPINGPURPOSES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, FILTERING WASH WATER THROUGH A 5MICRON FILTER TO REMOVE LINT, ADDING 3 OUNCES OF DETERGENT TO THE HEATEDFILTERED WASH WATER FOR 50 POUNDS OF CLOTH TO BE WASHED IN THE WASHWATER, WASHING CLOTHS IN SMALL QUANTITIES IN A SOLUTION OF THE HOTFILTERED WATER AND DETERGENT AT ABOUT 175 DEGREES FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT10 MINUTES, THE SYNTHETIC MATERIAL IS NYLON, RINSING THE CLOTH IN TWO 5MINUTES RINSES IN WATER AND THEREAFTER IN TWO HOT WATER 2 MINUTE RINSESTO REMOVE THE DETERGENT AND UNWANTED LINT, RINSING THE CLOTHS IN COLDWATER FOR A 3 MINUTE RINSE, RINSING THE CLOTHS IN A SECOND RINSE IN COLDANTI-STATIC SOLUTION COMPRISING 50 PERCENT WATER AND 50 PERCENTANTISTATIC SOLUTION FOR 5 MINUTES, RINSING THE CLOTHS IN A THIRD COLDWATER 4 MINUTE RINSE AND EXTRACTING THE WATER FROM THE CLOTHS, PLACINGTHE CLOTHS IN A PLASTIC CONTAINER AND CARRYING THE CLOTHS TO A CLEANROOM WHERE THE CLOTHS ARE REMOVED FROM THE PLASTIC CONTAINER AND DRYEDIN A CLEAN ROOM ATMOSPHERE, AND THEN PLACING THE CLOTHS IN A PLASTICCONTAINER FOR STORAGE UNTIL TIME OF USE.